A $42 billion value gap driven by flood risk
By Graeme Salt According to new research by PropTrack at least 70 per cent of homes in flood zones have experienced a reduction in property value as a result of flood risk. On average, this equates to a $37,000 drop in property values across all dwellings. Collectively this equates to a loss of $42.2bn in […]
No cuts for ‘foreseeable future’
By Graeme Salt Today, the Reserve Bank Governor said, “it does look like additional cuts are not needed”. She also stated that the Reserve Bank Board was not expecting inflation to come back below three for another 12 months. With no cuts expected for “the foreseeable future” this means rates are either going to hold […]
Will your home’s environmental performance impact its value?
By Graeme Salt Recent analysis by Cotality shows that investing in a home’s sustainability makes financial sense. Its “Watt’s it Worth” report found that adding one star to a home’s energy efficiency rating adds around $10,000 in value, while installing solar panels lifts value by more than double that ($23,100). The federal government is moving […]
Graeme’s 2026 Predictions
By Graeme Salt This year, property prices have grown by around 8.5 per cent. Growth is still predicted in 2026 – though at the more moderate rate of five to seven per cent. In last year’s annual review, I predicted that 2025 would be a year in two halves – with prices growing strongly in […]
How AI can help you buy a place
By Graeme Salt Artificial Intelligence (AI) is supposed to revolutionise many things – but will it help you buy a place? Many experts talk about AI having a huge impact on professional activities – particularly with the more junior ranks. The sorts of roles often mentioned include activities like book-keeping and para-planners. But could it […]
Do you need bridging finance?
By Graeme Salt Bridging finance is almost a dirty word in Australia. Many of us, or our parents, are scarred by the 1990’s when they were stuck holding their old home as well as their new home and paying 18 per cent of the loans! Thankfully there are now many lenders who are offering competitive […]
What if this is as good as it gets?
By Graeme Salt What if there are no more mortgage interest rates to come? Underlying inflation increased to three per cent in the year to September, which was well above economists’ expectations of 2.7 per cent. As a result, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept interest rates on hold this month at 3.6 per […]
Home values rise in October – the fastest in two years
By Graeme Salt Housing prices rose 1.1 per cent nationally in October, led by strong gains in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide, though prices rose everywhere as the first homebuyer deposit guarantee scheme kicked into gear. Prices were up in every city and every region, according to data house Cotality’s latest monthly home values report, released […]
How to make a squeaky-clean mortgage application
By Graeme Salt There’s heaps you can do to strengthen your mortgage application, long before you actually apply for a loan. As soon as you submit a loan application, the bank will run a credit check on you. Your credit report has heaps of information on you – particularly how much debt you have and […]
Why the new first-home buyer scheme is worth a crack (even though I am not a fan)
By Graeme Salt Consistent with its election pledge, this week, the federal government has expanded its first-home buyer scheme. Gone are many of the price and income limitations. Under the scheme, first-home buyers need only a five per cent deposit to buy a home and their mortgage is underwritten by the federal government. Many industry […]